The Midnight Beast at the HMV Institute Birmingham 16th February

On the 16th February I went to go watch The Midnight Beast at the HMV Institute in Birmingham. The Midnight Beast hit their big break in 2009 when they recorded a parody of the song 'Tik Tok' by Kesha, put it on YouTube and became internet sensations. Although they are quite a comedic band, they have a great live atmosphere and I was very excited, but also unsure about what to expect.

After an extremely long wait, a tall man dressed in jeans, a top and a cap came onstage. He revealed his name was 'HypeMan Sage'. Most of the crowd seemed dubious (including me!) as it didn't seem like he was the right genre to support The Midnight Beast. However, he instantly engaged with the audience and started MCing. The venue was pretty small anyway (for those who don't know it used to be the Birmingham Barfly) and it was a sold out gig, but everyone in the crowd was jumping around. My favourite song he performed was a remix of the Austin Powers theme tune; it sounds strange but it really worked. It seemed more like a club night than a gig, but it was really fun and no one looked bored. Regardless of whether the music was the right genre for this gig, the atmosphere was definitely right and made everyone even more excited about The Midnight Beast coming on stage. Honestly, I really enjoyed it and I've continued listening to him after the concert. Some artists don't get the recognition they deserve as many people are narrow-minded about the genres of music they listen to, but HypeMan Sage is very talented and performed extremely well.

After a short wait, The Midnight Beast came on stage in superhero outfits with pom poms and backing dancers to the song 'Booty Call'. The atmosphere was intense; so many screaming girls! They had amazing stage presence; they even had scooters and space hoppers! for part of their set! They played 'House Party' (my personal favourite!) which is about what the band would do if they formed a political party. Stefan, Dru and Ashley all had specific dance routines which were hilarious; especially in 'Just Another Boyband'. Their parodies of 'Tik Tok' and 'Down' were extremely funny and light-hearted comedy. The song 'Lez Be Friends' was one of the most anticipated of the night and the crowd singing were probably even louder than the band. During the song 'Ninjas' the band all had swords...but shortly through the song the crowd has already ripped up one of them and stolen another! During the set the interaction with the crowd from the band was good and like the HypeMan Sage set, it didn't feel like a concert; more like a party. Although there were lots of props, the main focus was on the songs and the overall performance was incredible and it has to be one of the best concerts I've been to. Although I usually go to rock or metal gigs, it was a nice change and a very enlightening experience.

After the concert, me and my friend Natalie were lucky enough to meet the band. They were all so lovely, down-to-earth and genuine. I have a lot of respect for The Midnight Beast and if you have the chance to go and see them go for it...you won't regret it!









My friend Natalie, Ashley from The Midnight Beast and me.






Me and Dru from The Midnight Beast.





Me and Stefan from The Midnight Beast.

LostAlone, The Blackout and My Chemical Romance 13.2.11

On Sunday night, I went to the Birmingham LG arena to go and see My Chemical Romance. It was an amazing night, I hadn't seen My Chemical Romance since I was twelve so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it was a fantastic night.

The first support band were called 'LostAlone'. I'll admit, I usually hear a lot of relatively unknown bands but I had never heard of them before. Honestly, they sounded good; they kept in time and interacted with the audience. They played songs such as 'Unleash the Sands of Time' (which seemed to be a crowd favourite), 'Blood is Sharp' (which the intro sounded a lot heavier than the rest of the songs on their set, but didn't live up to expectations) and 'Paradox is a Knife'. They were enjoyable to listen to, but much as the case is for most support bands, there was not much movement in the crowd. However, they were not the most exciting live band and I think that maybe a more lively band would have been more appropriate to support My Chemical Romance, considering how action-packed 'Danger Days' sounds and has been portrayed.

The next support band on were The Blackout. As I've already seen them (and met them!) before, I had extremely high expectations, and I was not disappointed! Although the atmosphere from the crowd was very boring and stationary, The Blackout certainly were not. They started their set with such energy and the opened with 'ShutTheFuckUppercut' which was a great choice. They played two of their new songs from their new album 'Hope': 'Ambition is Crutial' and 'Higher and Higher'. These songs were great and it made me excited for the release of the album in April. They even did a cover of 'I Whip My Hair Back and Forth' which was amusing and showed that they had a good sense of humour. They interacted with the crowd a lot and there were constant jokes about Wales and Birmingham being thrown around, but in a light-hearted manor. All in all, they played a good set and were entertaining to watch.

After a long wait in a crowd full of sweaty, excitable teenagers, My Chemical Romance came on stage. As expected, they opened with 'Na Na Na', but when they came out the crowd reception was intense. Although I like the latest album (Danger Days), I was doubtful of what to expect as My Chemical Romance seem to change their musical style with every album, but after the first song it was evident that they were back... and back for good. Gerard Way was as welcoming as ever and the sense of unity amongst the band and fans was easily apparent. Surprisingly, there was a good mix of old and new songs. They even played songs such as 'Give 'Em Hell Kid' and 'Our Lady of Sorrows', which pleased the older fans (however, I distinctly heard a girl behind me say "I don't know this song!" after every song that wasn't from 'Danger Days'; even after 'I'm Not Okay'!). My personal favourite song of the night was 'Mama' as Gerard is such an incredible front man and his performance in that song is always so fascinating to watch. Unfortunately, I had to leave partway through the last song of the encore, 'Vampires Will Never Hurt You', to get the train, but it was such an amazing night. I know many people who dislike My Chemical Romance, but they put on an undeniably good show.